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Hibernaculum

Rarest vintage Tamiya kits? And how many left in the world?

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G'day,

Yes, I know this is a futile exercise [:P

But I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been interested to see how many NIB examples are left of each particular car, and who has looked at the listings here in the showrooms. I suppose this website is the closest thing we have to a sample of what's left out there in the world. Though of course, not all NIB kits are listed here, and not everyone here who has NIB kits uploads them all either.

I just wonder about this out of pure curiosity [:P]. Resale value does not concern me whatsoever. My collection, like most, has been a 10+ year labour of love that will never be sold. It's just fun to think to yourself sometimes "wow, there are only X number of this particular kit left". But I don't want to delude myself and say "50", when somebody knows somebody (who knows somebody) who has a secret stash of 100 unlisted kits of a particular model stored in an underground cellar  [:|].

So if we used Tamiyaclub as a starting point, and then tried to estimate how many additional NIB kits are out there in the world, how many - say - Wild One kits do we think there are left? Or Rough Riders? Or anything else?

And which kits are the most scarce of them all? Anyone brave enough to guess? I have my own estimates, but I want to see what you guys say first [:D]

We can never know for sure, because there may still be kits hidden in attics, and the dark corners of hobby stores. But the combined knowledge of collectors can give a hint.

cheers,

H.

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By far the rarest kit of them all is the Black 58001 porsche.  I have only seen a few of them on ebay.

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There are a few kits of similar rarity to the black porsche such as the FW Sports Special Road Wizard, TGX Nismo Clarion with OPS Engine & Calsonic Skyline Kakegawa Commerative as well as some of the early TRF kits. Not totally unique but some F1 kits were also given to stores as a sample in a plain box with a sticker on the top. The black porsche is older but was considered very collectible on release so more have been kept NIB than what would be normal for its production run.

Other rare kits include the Jugg1, Brabham, Lotus 79, TT01 Calsonic Skyline, Toyota Bb, F103 RX Chassis Kit, M4 Sherman Computerized & RCT

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(WOW - akihabaramallrat just answered what I've always wondered about those TGX kits - shoulda bought one when I had the chance[:'(] )

 

I often think about the finite amounts of these older kits - surely we will 'run out' of NIBs someday?  I see Blazers come and go here and on eBay and noticed that the numbers have dwindeled in recent years - A sign of a lull in trading, or that there really is fewer and fewer of these around to trade?

I know that some people, especially here on the club, have NIBs that they'll 'take to the grave', but how many will make it even that far?  It's all to common that lives change direction and usually the hobby is always the first to get the ax.  Next thing you know, some fat-wallet eBayer is burying that pristine Blazer shell with a rattle can of  purple color-flip PC paint - sad, but you know it happens.

Not that they shouldn't be built, but let's face it - for every one that is built, it is a guarantee that someone else won't be.  That is assuming that there are ultimately more people that want to build these than total number of kits produced.   After all, a new enthusiast is born every day...[:D]

-Steve

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I think it is difficult to come up with a good estimation. Because there are still many rare NIBs own by Japanese collectors. But due to language difference, most of them don't know the existence of Tamiyaclub or even eBay.

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I honestly don't know the answer but I'm betting some of them are owned by TC members.

Yes, we are an elitist club (bring on the champagne and caviar)[:)]

 

best, 

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As said we don't know how many more kits or collectors exist in the "outside TC world", but with almost 20000 members, TC gives a good represantation of which of the older kits are rarer http://www.tamiyaclub.com/cars_stats.asp I would use this list though not absolutely but only comparetively for cars of the same period (i.e. 58000-58050 or 58200-58250) as there is an exponential decrease to newer kits which I am sure lies in the fact that more vintage Tamiya fans then modern Tamiya fans register here.

I wouldn't worry of NIB kits dying out as there are more then enough collectors of them (also outside TC) and anyway in 50 years or so when our generation has "left the building" the collecting of those kits will change dramatically, propably most will end up in large generic collecetions/museums where they anyway won't be build, as very few of our descendants will have such interest in them as our generation which grew up with them.

Cheers 

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wow, if I had known.

I've just saw a NIB courage in a model shop last week end.

did not know it was worth collecting it, as only 1 person has it here

 

tom4, if anybody is interested, I might be able to get it

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As I wrote above you need to check the stats with care considering how new the model is, Courage is just been released thats why just 1 piece in TC, but you can get it in any (e)-shop currently.

Cheers 

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As I wrote above you need to check the stats with care considering how new the model is, Courage is just been released thats why just 1 piece in TC, but you can get it in any (e)-shop currently.

Cheers 

anyway, my mistake, i checked the picture I took in the shop, it was a tamiya GT-one (wich is older).

i don't know why I thought the courage was old :)

anyway, they had some not so recent kit, like FF03 alfa, a ta03 306 and 2 blitzer beetle chrome

 

tom4, I bought one blitzer

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An answer to a question like this, would be aided by first knowing how many of each kit were originally made.

For a car such as the 49255 TRF414M Replica chassis, it does get a little easier. There were 1700 originally made. Using the link provided by DJTheo, we know that 15 of these models are currently owned by TC members, and 5 of these are still NIB. 

Is there anywhere that these stats exist??

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Unfortunately Tamiya never gave out to the public any sales number, we only the ones of some limited kits and the original Hornet (700.000)

Cheers 

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 How about rare parts, Ive seen a few strange parts, like a Neon yellow TA01 chassis,Neon green TA01 gear boxes,Gold plated Grasshopper two body set, clear MO3, TL-01 chassis and shock bodies,and the chrome frog chassis. anybody seen anything else strange?

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The rarest parts I have seen, are:

Clear TA03 Gearboxes. (Only ever seen one set of these, has anybody else ever seen a set??)

Silver Frog A Parts (ORV Chassis/Frame)

Chrome Frog A Parts

Grean and Yellow TA01 Suspension arms

White TA02 Suspension Arms

White Manta Ray/Top Force Suspension Arms

TB EVO III Green Alu Parts

Fluorescent Pink/Green/Yellow 5mm Adjuster sets

Most of these parts were only available in Japan at special events

Also Moss Green M01/M02 Parts are fairly rare 

Jason (Jr-rc) would be the best answer questions on Japan Specail Event parts as he lists them occasional.

 

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 Ive never seen the clear TA03 gear boxes.

 but it looks like a Neon TA01 is possible if some one was that sick.

I forgot about the various color mini light wheels.

I ve got some of those Neon Adjuster sets in pink and green.

I will try and remember if there is anything else. 

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Also Moss Green M01/M02 Parts are fairly rare

Know anyone selling any?! [;)]

I spotted them on Ebay and have just put 2 + 2 together! I've got 2 sets of my own now; the 210mm rear chassis of one I believe I may have bought from yourself!

There was a clear M03 chassis on Ebay a couple of months ago (probably from Jason... [*-)] he finds so much scrummy rare stuff) and I kicked myself for forgetting to bid. If anyone comes across another set, please drop me a line?

I get the feeling that you can buy any rare Tamiya kit, as long as you are prepared to pay decent money for it. [^o)]

 

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I'd say the quick drive "lowride pumpkin" must be pretty rare. I'd love to own one but i've never seen one for sale!

I think this is true, if not one collector has a secret stash of 100 nibs in a secret basment. I searching "Tamiya QD" on Ebay regulary. And I have never sean a lowride pumpkin. There is verry few NIB QD 46001-46019 kits. The cars that comes up most often as NIB are the one of the mostertrucks, the MantaRay buggies (including the black special), and the Avante. I have actually comented this before on a showroom listing who said it had the rarest QD, The Black Manta Ray limited edition. But it is much rarer with a NIB Dash 1 Emperor, Shooting Star og Lowride Pumkin!

A special edition would be kept nib by a bigger amount of people. A "toy" like the QD, was rarely bought for collecting. They where perfect, unbreakable RC cars sto start RC'ing with. I would have bean really cool to know how manny Tamiya made of each QD. My guess is that they made more Thundershots than anny el's and maybe they made just a small amount of the Lowride Pumkin, QD Wrangler, the latest, but that is plaine guessing?

If you find them you gett a verry rare car for a good price, but it is not a easy to sell item, not a verry safe or smart investment[:D] This is a different type of QD, but I thought I should tell you that I just lost a NIB Land Zhepyr on Ebay who went for 10.50 Euros[8-)]

Cheers

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